Heather’s success
Heather was 100% successful in negotiating for her demands. The purpose of Heather’s meeting with the executive committee was to negotiate for her approval to hire three marketing representatives. Although her request received much logical opposition, she persuaded the committee until it approved the hiring of one representative. Heather was to use the approval to prove the worth of her strategy.
If the hired representative proved worthy to the company, then the executive would grant Heather full hiring approval. Based on her persuasive power during the meeting, Heather demonstrated confidence in the success of the investment.
Therefore, she was optimistic that the chance given by the executive would prove the worthy of her plans and eventually get the full approval. To Heather the one approval indicated the executive’s agreement to her plans.
Did Heather leave anything on the table?
Yes. The executive committee did not approve all her demands at once but promised to do so after the hired representative proved a good investment for the growth of the business. It therefore implies that the executive had to keep track of the performance of this representative. It further means that series of meetings were to take place between Heather and the committee to evaluate the performance of the representative.
In these future meetings, Heather would empirically demonstrate and convince the executive the worth of the investment. The executive would therefore grant the full approval to Heather on the basis of the empirical information. Heather therefore expected to organize other meetings in future with the executive.
Leadership Characteristics Displayed
Heather displays good speaking and listening skills. Listening and speaking are fundamental leadership skills for effective implementation of policies. Leaders should possess excellent speaking skills to enable them pass fundamental information about the company (Gallos, 2008, p. 102). In Heather’s case, the executive is not aware of Heather’s strategy to hire sales representatives.
The introduction Heather gives to the executive on the subject at the beginning of the meeting demonstrates high level of speaking skills. Throughout the meeting, Heather provides informative responses to the members, thereby illustrating excellent skill of listening. She is indeed an active listener.
Heather demonstrates effective communication skills. Leaders should possess effective communication skills to enhance information flow within an organization. Heather understands effective channels to negotiate her demands. According to Dubrin (2010), face-to-face communication is an effective tool of employee/manager engagement, a concept Heather applies to negotiate her claims to the executive (p.24).
Heather also demonstrates high skills in overcoming barriers to communication. The executive consists of members with different views on her subject, which acts to impede Heather’s success; however, she confronts the barriers until eventually the executive grants her approval.
Heather also demonstrates excellent conflict resolution and management skills. Her capability to convince the executive despite their varied perceptions on her demand, illustrates high levels of her accommodation. Heather is also persuasive. Good leaders should have the power to convince and persuade others; their junior or seniors, in support of practical evidences (Dubrin, 2010, p.34).
This character enhances adoption of policies, which are important to the leader’s department of jurisdiction. In this case, Heather uses external and internal economic trends of the company to persuade the executive to approve her demands.
Finally, Heather demonstrates her charismatic abilities of leadership; she has appealing and influential personality. Good leaders influence other employees and the management to adopt strategies for business success and in Heather’s case; she influences the executive to approve her demands.
References
Dubrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills. USA: Rochester Institute of Technology.
Gallos, V.J. (2008). Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader the Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series. USA: John Wiley and Sons publishers.